AI literacy and higher education students’ digital entrepreneurial intention: A moderated mediation model of AI self-efficacy and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy

Abstract

As digital entrepreneurship accelerates, aspiring founders increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to drive innovation. This study examines how AI literacy—defined as the ability to identify, use, and evaluate AI tools—influences digital entrepreneurial intention. Based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we propose a moderated mediation model, where digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the relationship between AI literacy and entrepreneurial intention, and AI self-efficacy moderates this pathway. Survey data from 1,061 Vietnamese university students were analyzed using the PROCESS macro. Results reveal that AI literacy positively predicts entrepreneurial intention both directly and indirectly via increased self-efficacy. Furthermore, AI self-efficacy strengthens the link between AI literacy and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, amplifying its mediated impact on intention. These findings extend SCCT to the AI-enabled entrepreneurship domain, emphasizing the joint role of competence and confidence. Practical implications highlight the need for entrepreneurship education to integrate AI skill development and foster technological self-belief among students.